The Way of the Lutherans
The Initial Pilgrimage
On Saturday 23 August, nine pilgrims began the inaugural pilgrimage, The Way of the Lutherans – Der Weg der Lutheraner. There was much excitement and anticipation as we set out from North Adelaide Lutheran Church to Pirltawardli, arguably the first Lutheran school in Australia. Here we heard stories about the establishment of the school and the very intentional approach that missionaries Teichelmann and Schuermann had in teaching Indigenous students in their own language. This was the pattern for the next seven days: following the footsteps of the early Lutheran migrants in South Australia, visiting the sites where they established their first churches and schools, hearing their stories of courage, faith, and community.
Some of the more significant sites and experiences were:
- Klemzig, the first Lutheran settlement in Adelaide with Pastor Kavel.
- The Pioneer Women’s Trail from Hahndorf to Beaumont.
- The Lobethal Museum which houses the oldest seminary in Australia.
- The three days trek from Lobethal to Bethany which Pastor Fritzsche took with his seminary students.
- Bethany
- Langmeil
- Light Pass
- Gnadenberg Lutheran Church
- The Hill of Grace vineyard.
All up it was a 150km walk over seven days. The terrain varied from sealed roadways to some steep slopes of the Heysen Trail. We were initially blessed with glorious sunshine, but as the week progressed the weather turned to sideways rain and hail. This made the determination of the pilgrims even stronger to ‘finish the race’ despite the testing conditions. And as they came over the final rise they were smiled upon by a glorious rainbow.
Inaugural pilgrims are Joanne Wegener (Good News), Tori Weiss (Encounter), Kerryn Simpfendorfer (Cornerstone), Kelvin Grivell (Encounter), Terri Taylor (St Michael’s), Stuart Traeger (LESNW), David Wilksch (LESNW), Darren Altus (Good Shepherd) and David Field (Maitland).
The Way of the Lutherans will be offered twice a year and is open to Lutheran education leaders across Australia. Dates for 2026 are 11-18 April and 5-12 September. Once a full review of the recent pilgrimage has been made, the website will be updated and made public. This will be the means through which people can view information, inquire and register.
